Book of Soft Words
by Lothlorienx
Summary: [Korrasami drabbles] Korra and Asami's vacation into the Spirit World together. Each chapter focused on a specific, beautiful world.
1. Kairosclerosis

_**Kairosclerosis - (noun) the moment when you realized you're happy**_

* * *

The pink petals of cherry blossoms were tangled within Asami's hair. She swept her hair out of her face, managing to pull a few stray petals out of her strands as she did so. Her face was flushed, and she was breathing hard. A giddy smile stretched across her face as she turned to Korra, who wore the same euphoric expression across her face.

"Let's do that again!" Asami said breathlessly.

"Yeah," Korra agreed. "Definitely!"

Together, she and Asami crawled out of the spring, water splashing down their legs and onto the ground, where flowers and grass were beginning to bloom, thanks to their happiness. Asami laughed as she chased Korra around the trees of the Spirit World, Korra always being just out of her reach.

Korra crawled back up onto the large tree that resided just over the pool of clean fresh water. Asami followed her up, albeit with a bit of difficulty, but was finally able to take her place next to Korra on the branches. Petals from the cherry blossoms were torn from their stems as the two of them climbed in the trees, following random paths upwards, going wherever their whimsy brought them.

"It's beautiful up here," Asami said suddenly, looking up at the borealis that was happening above them, here in what would be considered daylight.

"Yeah," Korra agreed. "It really is." She wasn't looking at the sky, though; she was looking at Asami, with the cherry blossom petals tangled in her wet hair and the look of absolute wonder and joy in her eyes. Her lips were parted in a smile, and the light shimmered in her eyes and radiated her skin.

A blush crept onto Korra's face as she looked at Asami.

"Let's dive back in!" Korra suggested then, spinning around on the blooming branches and crawling back over to where the limbs stuck out over the spring.

Asami followed her. Korra took a deep breath, then launched herself into the air, headfirst and her hands pressed together in front of her. She dived deep into the seemingly endless spring before she slowed to a stop. She smiled to herself, opening her eyes underwater, and then turned her head up to see Asami jumping in after her. She sped along in the water just as Korra did, petals flying away from her black hair.

She had to swim down deeper to get to Korra's level.

When the two finally met underwater, Korra laced her arms around her girlfriend and pulled her into a kiss. Asami let her hands touch Korra's, but the kiss didn't linger for long, for soon Asami was struggling for air.

Korra used her waterbending to form a pocket of air for them.

"Better?" she asked Asami.

"Better," she replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

The two kissed again while Korra bent the water around them, until they had to swim back up for fresh air. The broke the surface together, gasping in shock and exhilaration. The cool air met their skin with a slap, and Asami shivered. But despite the chills running along her spine, she swam to the edge of the spring, and pulled herself out of the water.

She sat down on the smooth, gray boulders that lined the spring, and swept her hair back from her face, not even bothering to wring it out. Trickles of water flowed down her skin in little streams, and Korra watched each droplet make its way down her body until it pooled beneath Asami's legs on the rocks.

Korra swam closer to the rocks. She was still in the water, buried up to her nose. Asami noticed her blue eyes focused on her, and she tossed her hair and smiled.

"Enjoying the view?" she asked Korra. She couldn't help but feel a slight girlish giddiness rise within her thanks to the way Korra was looking at her.

Korra stood up, revealing her own body to her, and took her place next to Asami on the rocks. For a moment, she sat down in front of her before deciding to pull their bodies together, embracing Asami once more and placing a kiss on her neck. Asami's fingers intwined into Korra's short, dripping wet hair as Korra let her lips linger on her skin.

"Keep doing that," Asami breathed.

Korra kissed Asami's neck for another minute or so before she pulled away. Bright smiles were on both of their faces. Asami cupped Korra's face in her hands, touching their foreheads together. Asami closed her eyes, reveling in the feeling of being so close to someone, and being so happy at the same time. Suddenly, she felt warm tears trickling on her fingers. She opened her eyes.

"Korra?" she asked, "Are you okay?"

Korra nodded, still maintaining her smile. "Better than okay," she replied, more tears streaming down her eyes. "I'm just…just so happy…" Her words trailed off into silence.

Asami shushed her, wiping her tears away with her thumb before kissing her on her forehead.

"No, really," Korra pushed, feeling as if Asami didn't believe her. "I'm happy! I'm so, so…so _happy_! I never thought that I could be this happy…" She blushed when she realized that she was rambling.

Asami didn't mind; she found it cute. Endearing, even. Asami pressed more kisses to Korra's cheeks and forehead and lips, and even a peck or two on the nose. Korra's smile only got wider, while tears of joy continued to roll down her cheeks.

"I love you, Asami," Korra told her, resting her head against Asami's shoulder.

"I love you too," Asami replied.

A small droplet landed on Asami's breast as Korra's joyous tears began again. Asami stroked her back, following along her muscles, pressing her fingers wherever she felt tension. More kisses peppered Korra's skin and hair before Asami slipped off the rocks, edging herself back into the deeper areas of the spring.

"Come on," Asami said gently, holding her hands out to Korra. "Let's wash those tears off your face."

Korra followed her in.


	2. Aurora

_**Aurora - (noun) dawn**_

* * *

Asami was clutching a winged otter that had flown close to her in the night. The otter and Asami both slept soundly, at peace, undisturbed, not a care in the world.

Korra envied her, slightly.

She sighed, and rolled over in her sleeping bag, finding another comfortable position before shutting her eyes and letting herself rest for another moment longer. The lasting memories of her dreams sill lingered in her mind, dancing around loosely like drunken Kyoshi dancers. Korra rubbed her legs against the soft sheets, savoring the feeling.

Asami sighed beside her, and Korra turned to see if she was awake yet. She wasn't. And the otter was still beneath her arm, an ethereal blue glow emanating from it, tinged with bits of yellow and a bronzed-brown as it slept.

Korra could have looked at it forever, but something else was drawing her near.

Korra crept out of the cave she and Asami had taken refuge in for the night. Walking on tired legs, she brought herself to the mouth of the stone and gemstone cave, and peered out at the dark-fading-into-light sky. She still didn't understand how night and day worked in the Spirit World, but she was starting to get a better understanding of it.

Today, the dawn came in an array of gold and silver that shone in the dark sky. Another borealis had formed, illuminating the sky in random patterns of lights as dawn stretched across their little patch of sky. A whole plethora of winged otters flew by, a yellow and blue glow left behind, leaving nothing more than a streak in the wind.

The otter that Asami had been cuddling with suddenly flew out of the cave, as chipper as ever. It joined its family in the herd of the otters, flying this way and that in a spiraling direction before spinning off.

Asami yawned behind Korra, and stretching her limbs, came to sit down next to her on the ground. She scooted as close as she could, and placed a hand on Korra's knee.

"Beautiful morning," she said, stifling another yawn.

"Yeah," Korra agreed. She didn't have many words to say. She was still groggy from sleep, and besides, nothing could even compare to the sight before them.

"Are you happy you came to the Spirit World?" Korra asked after the borealis had bled into most of the sky, making the world mimic the daytime.

"Yeah," Asami said dreamily. "I really am."


	3. Supine

_**Supine - (adjective) laying face upwards**_

* * *

The sky around them was changing too fast. Gray and taupe and then a dusty red that made Korra think that the world was about to end…again. Borealis after borealis littered the sky at random moments, reminding her of home sometimes, but mostly it was the random spirit passing before them, sometimes as a whisper on the wind and other times as opaque as a glittering scarlet dragon with eyes blazing.

Now, thick clouds in earthen tones cornered the edges of Korra and Asami's sight. If these were normal clouds, they would threaten rain or snow, but these weren't normal clouds.

"What's up with those?" Asami asked.

Korra shrugged, despite the fact that she lay on her back on the ground. Both of them were looking straight up, just watching the sky, but Asami felt the shrug just the same.

"Dunno," Korra replied. "Spirit World stuff, I guess."

Asami smiled at her, thought Korra didn't really see it. Her attention was one the bronzed clouds in the sky, drawing ever nearer to them both on their place on the grassy plain. Another spirit dragon sped past them, the same earthen colors painted on its body to match the sky around it. Though, in Asami and Korra's opinion, it was a pretty terrible attempt.

"Like a baby chameleon turtle," Asami chuckled.

Korra chuckled along with her.

"Oh! Look at that!" Korra said excitedly, leaning up and thrusting her hand outwards. Asami leaned up to look at what she was pointing at, and her jaw dropped when she saw what looked like a fire ferret running across the sky.

"It looks like Pabu!" Asami whispered.

"It does, doesn't it!"

They two women watched the fire ferret run across the sky. It looked so realistic, with its fur fluffed out and its tail twitching, its whiskers a mixture of white and black and liquid black eyes staring intently ahead. The wind whipped its ears as it ran, and they moved back and forth along with the wind currents and each shift in sound that it heard.

"It looks so much like Pabu," Asami mused.

The only difference was the tail. It was long, longer than anything they'd ever seen. It streaked behind the fire ferret in what was a long, furry ribbon, extending as far as the eye could see.

Asami laid back down on her back.

"i'm so glad you brought me to the Spirit World," she said to Korra.

Korra was too stunned to respond. But slowly she worked out what Asami had said, and blushed deeply. "I'm glad, too," she said, tugging at the ends of her short brown hair. Laying back down, she took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh scent of the grass and spirit plants. A faint scent of lemon and curiosity clung to each blade.

A giant wolf was next, its paws as light as a cloud as it swam through the endless dome of the sky. Then a flock of blue, luminescent shapes with sprouted wings and faces too far away to see. Coils of snakes and dragons turning into clouds and whispers of their whiskers streaming along to make a jet stream.

Asami moved closer until her hair tickled Korra's cheek. She couldn't help but giggle, and Asami turned onto her side to look at her.

"Something funny?" she asked sweetly.

"No, no, nothing," Korra said, a hint of laughter still on her lips. "It's just that your hair tickles."

"My hair tickles?" Asami asked, and Korra could almost hear the wheels in her head turning. A wide smile passed Asami's face, and she held a strand of her black hair in her hand, and starting moving the tips along Korra's skin.

Korra shivered and fidgeted and laughed as Asami tickled her with her hair.

Asami was simply beaming.

"I think you quite like this," Asami said, right before streaking the tips of her hair along Korra's cheek and past her closed eyes.

"I…" She trailed off as another fit of laughter seized her.

When Korra could take no more, Asami propped herself off her her elbow and returned to her former position of laying on her back. Except this time, she was much closer to Korra. Korra smiled sweetly and nuzzled into her a bit, enjoying her warmth and her company.

"Oh, look, the sky's turning green now!" Asami said, pointing.

Korra didn't even look. She closed her eyes and pressed a kiss to Asami's cheek, muttering a single, "Mmhm."


	4. Evocative

**_Evocative - (adjective) suggestive_**

* * *

Asami untied the last strip of fabric, and her clothes fell from her body and pooled around her feet. She stepped out of the ring of clothes surrounding her feet, standing completely naked. Slowly, she made her way towards the river bank that Korra was already neck-deep in. Wading slowly into the river, she made her way to Korra, her timid feet carrying her deeper and deeper into the water.

Korra giggled and held out her arms, hands beckoning for Asami to take them in her own. As Asami strode deeper into the water, she held her arms aloft until her fingers interlaced with Korra's. Korra pulled her the rest of the way into the river with her, the water lapping at both of their skin.

Asami stumbled on a hidden rock on the bed of pebbles and med beneath them, and she dove forward, head diving underwater and water exploding out around them both. Asami surfaced, the cold water making her gasp as her wet hair and head hit the open air. Giggling and blushing, and shifted closer to Korra in the river.

Korra beamed, her smile radiant, her joy palpable. Her brown hair was soaking wet, cascading down to her shoulders in wet strands that clung to her skin. The cold water had made her euphoric, and she leaned back in the water, feet leaving the riverbed, and floated on her back. The river water carried her away, only an inch at a time. The warmth of one of the suns reached her, and she focused on that instead of the shock of cold water that flicked across her face.

Asami took a shallow breath and dived underneath the river water, closing her eyes and letting her dark locks swim around her in the flowing water. She swam after Korra, completely submerged, and swam up beneath her. She pinched Korra's leg, and even underwater she heard Korra's cry of surprise. Asami swept her hair out of her face before resurfacing again, all sopping wet hair and smiles.

Korra swept her arm across the water, hitting Asami squarely in the face.

Asami cried out and shied away before splashing river water on Korra in return. She splashed it into her eyes, making Korra squeak in shock, and then onto her hair. Korra brought her hand down to smack the river water, and small little droplets exploded around them, soaking them both in little wet fragments.

Korra's eyes glanced down to look as Asami's breasts, just beneath the surface of the river, bobbing upwards in the weightlessness of the water. She blushed as she spied the rosy pink nipples just beneath the surface. Korra's arm looped around Asami's back, pulling her into a hug. Asami put an arm around Korra and pulled her into her own embrace, and the two locked together like that, arms around each other as they pooled water onto each other.

Taking a handful of water, Korra poured it over Asami's neck and shoulders, occasionally rubbing her hands up against her in a subtle attempt to feel her up. Water slipped between her brown fingers, falling onto Asami's dark locks and blushing neck. Korra let her finger travel down Asami's neck, following the arch with a gossamer touch, and stopped just short of her collarbone.

Water splashed in their faces again.

Asami returned her touches; gentle on her shoulders and neck, pooling water in her cupped hands and pouring it over her hair and chest and back. They wore broad smiles all the while.

Asami's wet hand touched Korra's cheek, and Korra dropped the pool of water that she held in her hand, her hand back sinking beneath the flowing river water. She looked Asami deep in her eyes, dark green and deeper than the night sky. Asami leaned forward slowly, her lips parting, and closed her eyes.

Korra's eyes snapped shut, and she was kissing her, her lips working slowly against hers, tongue hesitantly meeting Asami's. Asami's hand rested on Korra's hip, her arm around her shoulder, touching the nape of her neck, fingers intertwined with her dripping, soaking wet hair.

Korra gave a slight, playful tug at Asami's hair, the tips submerged beneath the river surface, and Asami gasped and laughed. A bold laugh where her teeth were exposed and her cheeks blushed. Korra gave another soft tug to her hair and Asami splashed her with more water in return.

Korra flicked a spray of water into her face, and their splashing contest began again, though their arms still touched. Eventually, Korra swept her entire arm across the water and a great wave struck Asami, drenching her entirely. She gasped and shrieked as the water hit her, and pulled Korra forward to her before she could do it again.

They kissed again, their hands exploring each other beneath the surface of the water.

"What are you two doing?" came a voice.

Korra and Asami broke their kiss, looking up.

A spirit, no doubt, stood at the bank of the river, glaring at the two of them, naked in the river and making out. The spirit had red eyes, four hooved feet and a torso of a human, arms and hands complete. Antlers sprouted from their furry head, and their skin had thick stripes across it in subtle patterns.

"What do want?" Korra demanded, still holding Asami close to her.

"Don't you know what this place is?" the spirit shouted at her, leaning forward and shaking a fist at them. "There are great spirits coming here today! Great and important spirits who will walk along this very same river and travel along the banks, and here you two are frolicking about! Naked and lewd! Have you no shame?"

Korra tilted her head to the side, and Asami took that as an opportunity to let her lips flutter against her neck.

"Have you no shame?" Korra shot back at the spirit. "Spying on us while we're bathing! Get out of here, go away!" She splashed her hand up against the water, soaking the spirit who stood at the banks looking at them.

"Humans!" the spirit spat. They shook their head and mumbled, all curses and profanities about humans in the Spirit World. They glared at the two women again, but neither of them were intimidated or even a little bit frightened. "You ought to get yourselves out of here, if you know what is good for you!"

The spirit pointed an accusatory finger at them.

"Look at you, exposed like this! What would the Great Spirit say if they could see you like this? Oh, they'd have some choice words!"

They paused, waiting to see if their words had any effect on the two women.

Clearly it didn't, for they still played with each other, cleaning each other with water and letting their hands roam around. They had eyes only for each other, and it might as well be as if the spirit wasn't even there watching them.

"You're not even being suggestive! You're practically fornicating out here in this Sacred River! If I were you-"

Before the spirit could say another word, Korra bent a torrent of water at them, soaking them completely. The spirit screamed in shock and anger, and then hissed at the two of them. They only chuckled, watching as the spirit fought to control their anger. Red eyes bulging and hands into fists, stomping hooves upon the ground...

But they didn't do anything more. The spirit composed themselves again, trying its best to look dignified, and walking away from them. Korra only half watched as the spirit walked away from them, their hooves not even clacking on the ground beneath them. Their tail twitched irritably as they walked.

Before the spirit was completely gone, they turned around and shouted at them, "You'll pay for this!"

Asami turned her eyes to face the departing spirit. "What'd they mean by that?" she quietly asked.

Korra shrugged. "I don't know...but we might not want to stay here too long." She pecked at Asami's cheek, and Asami turned to her, smiling and pooling water over her again. "I'd say we have another hour or so before we have to high-tail it outta here."

"I can work with that," Asami replied, splashing Korra.


	5. Anecdoche

_**Anecdoche - (noun) a conversation where no one is listening**_

* * *

The white sugar melted into the tea, the steam rising up into Korra's eyes. The tiny crystals dissolved into what looked like swirling vapor, but it didn't lighten the tea any bit. It stayed a deep, rich reddish brown, as Korra looked into it. Curling her hands around the cup made the heat sink all the way into her blood.

Beside her, Asami stirred her tea absent-mindedly, staring into the dark liquid without really seeing it. She was far away, somewhere in her own head, thinking and thinking and thinking.

"This place is amazing," Korra said to herself. "I mean; the lights, the color, the delicious tea. I could drink this stuff forever, but I'd still be unable to tell you what it tasted like. I could look at this color forever, but still be unable to describe it. I could look at these trees forever, but still not know how tall they were…"

"I don't think the Spirit World actually has an end," Asami said. "I mean, we could walk and walk and walk forever and ever and ever and still not find the end of it. It's gotta be bigger than the Physical World, that much I know." She paused, taking a sip of her tea.

The flavor bloomed on her tongue, orange blossom and jasmine and vanilla and honey all mixing together and then fading away. Asami sipped more of it, wanting the flavors to dance on her tongue again. The flavors came one after another, as if in a succession that they'd practiced, and then left as if the curtain had closed.

"How old is the Spirit World, I wonder?" Asami thought aloud. "Does time even exist? How old is the Physical World? I think I read something where scholars placed the age of the earth at ten thousand years old…or something like that. Ten thousand was a sacred number back in the day, wasn't it…?"

Korra hummed a little song to herself. She swirled the tea with her bending, making it spin like a maelstrom before calming it. A thin line of water danced out of the cup, summoned by her bending, and she formed the tea into a sphere in midair, and then drank it like that.

"You know what's weird? How there isn't any woodbenders," Korra said. "I mean there's six different materials according to that old zen practice…metal, stone, water, wood, fire, and air. Every other material has a bender, why not wood?" She hummed again, bending her tea to her mouth again.

Asami swigged her tea, gulping it down until the cup tipped up and over and was emptied. She set the cup down beside her, not noticing that it was immediately filled again. She leaned down onto her back, lounging on the soft stones beneath her. How stones could be so soft, she didn't know; it was like they were made of putty instead of granite.

"These are so soft," she commented, running her hand along the curve of the rocks. "The Spirit World is so soft. I've never felt rocks like these."

"Who's refilling these cups of tea?" Korra asked, though no one really listened to her. She looked down into her cup, magically filling up with more tea. She brought the cup up to her lips and took a drink; the flavors were completely different this time. Cider and peach and black spice and matcha. "Maybe it's Iroh? Maybe he's omnipotent here…? Making sure every tea cup in the Spirit World is filled…?"

"I've read a lot of books in my lifetime…" Asami mused.

"Is there a Jasmine Dragon in the Spirit World…?" Korra wondered aloud. "There was one in Republic City, even if it was just a knockoff of the one in Ba Sing Se. Nice tea, though. The honey lotus cakes were pretty good too."

"I've never read a book about the Spirit World," Asami continued to muse. "But then again, I don't think they could have been even close to what this world is really like. I mean, just look at the trees. They're moving and shifted, with lights dancing all around like candles with legs, and if you look close enough it looks like they're putting on a show."

They both paused, neither one of them saying anything.

"Maybe I could write a book," Asami mumbled.

"And I would read it," Korra said with a chuckle, turning her head to look at her. Asami looked back at her, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

As the night went on, they talked more, and eventually their separate conversations wove into one. The spell wasn't broken, but still they spoke of things where they never got an answer.


	6. Noctiphany

_**Noctiphany - (noun) an appearance of something that occurs only at night**_

* * *

"Korra!"

She was shaken awake, roused by Asami's excited whispers and constant shoves and taps to her body. She practically started pulling Korra out of her sleeping bag, but Korra found she didn't mind. The nights in the Spirit World lasted far, far longer than they did in the Physical World, so she would have plenty of time to sleep.

She might have actually been asleep for days, considering the strange way time world in the Spirit World.

"Korra!" Asami said again, her voice raspy as she tried to keep it quiet but unable to hide the excitement in her voice. "Korra! Korra! Korra! You have to come see this! Come on! Come on! You've gotta come see this!"

Asami crawled away from Korra, edging towards the mouth of the cave to look outside. Korra grumbled slightly, rubbing her eyes as she staggered forward on her knees. She crawled up next to Asami, who was starry-eyed with wonder.

Korra was so focused on looking at Asami that she didn't even notice what Asami was focused on. Not until she hissed out in quiet excitement and pointed.

"Looklooklook!" she said.

Korra reluctantly turned her eyes from Asami to the scene playing just outside the cave they were sleeping in. She gazed outwards and her eyes were struck with a thousand different things all vying for her attention. Colors danced, music wafted through the air in ghostly cords, and she could smell the phantom aroma of food near her.

Korra watched a phantom celebratory parade, she came to realize. Complete with glowing lights, food, dancing, ghostly music playing, and shadowy, wavering figures of spirits and humans alike frolicking about in the air. Korra watched awestruck, finally able to see what Asami was so excited about.

"Was this the Great Spirit that antler spirit was talking about?" Asami whispered to her.

"I don't know…" Korra replied.

Ghosts and spirits alike danced around in a circle, the beat of drums so vague it was like a heartbeat, and red and gold and oranges and greens all mixed together to create a moving rainbow. Their feet–and what might have passed for feet–all leapt up from the ground, and the people turned in the air before landing again. Their feet were practically flying over the ground. Candles upon golden plates were in some of the dancers' hands, and the flames flickered and flickered but never died.

"This is so amazing," Asami whispered. Her voice was low for fear of alerting the spirits to their presence. Korra looked over and saw the golden gleam of tears on the edges of her eyes. Asami wiped them away when she noticed Korra staring at them. "This is just so incredible," Asami said to her, and her lips broke apart in a smile.

"Let's join them," Korra suggested, a wicked smile spreading across her face.

"What?!" Asami asked, her eyes widening to the size of full moons. "Join them? Just like that? But they're spirits…who knows what they might do."

"Hey, I'm the Avatar," Korra told her, smirking. "I bet I could get them to come around."

She could see that Asami still doubted her.

"Come on!" Korra said, jumping up from where she crouched.

Asami whispered for her to stop and come back, but Korra ignored her. Asami watched, holding her breath, as Korra emerged from their hiding spot and walked out into the open. The phantom lantern light caught her curves, illuminating her brown hair and skin until she looked like she was made of pure gold. Asami's eyes lingered on her back as Korra approached the spirits.

The music didn't stop, the dancing didn't stop.

But some of the spirits stilled.

Asami couldn't hear what she was saying, but she could read their body language well enough. Korra didn't tense up once as she placed her hands on her hips, smirking and occasionally laughing. She didn't flex her arms or take a fighting stance. Asami considered that a good sign.

Finally, Korra turned around and waved her arm at Asami.

"Come on!" she shouted at her.

Asami's brow furrowed. She made to stand up, but hesitated. Korra's smile urged her on, though, and she stood up, walking free of her hiding place. Slowly, she made her way out into the open where Korra and the spirits were.

The bright lantern light washed over her, and Asami felt lighter somehow. More joyous. It was like a golden sigh that escaped her lips. Her muscles relaxed as she made her way over to where Korra stood. Asami took her hands in her own when she was near enough.

Korra smiled and smirked. "Told you," she said, beaming.

Korra backed away from Asami, her hands leaving hers. "Dance with me," she told Asami, and in a split second later, she joined the dancing spirits. Asami didn't know the steps, didn't know the song, didn't know the rhythm, but she joined the dance nonetheless.

Her steps were dramatic and unplanned, her smile free and her laughter pealing off the bells and chimes all around her. She never felt like that before. She waves her arms carelessly, black hair tossing all around her as her feet pounded into the ground, following their own whimsy. She spun around, Korra circling, before they both tossed their hair and flipped it back, the dramatics of their dance beginning again.

Gold and red and brown filled Asami's vision, along with the tears that formed at the edges of her eyes. Her cheeks were hurting from smiling so much, and her muscles burned like fire from all her dancing. She didn't care; it felt far too good. She didn't dare close her eyes for fear of missing a single moment of it.

One spirit neared her as she danced, and they tried to match her dance moves. They never did, but they picked up on her carefree, happy rhythm, and they matched close enough. She grabbed the spirit's…hand like thing…and twirled it around with her. The spirit laughed, and it sounded like a cat gator croaking.

The music may have quickened, or perhaps Asami was far too carried away. The lanterns glowed and the fire seemed to pulse with the beats of the music. The red and crimson and burgundy all around her morphed into phoenixes and dragons and foxes and koi as her vision became blurry from movement and pure joy.

Asami grabbed Korra's hand, once they found each other within the mess of the party.

"This is the best moment of my life!" Asami shouted to her.

Korra shook her head. "Mine too!" she shouted back.

Korra and Asami joined both their hands together and danced a sloppy dance. One that Korra had learned back in Republic City. It was supposed to be a slow dance, one meant for respectable gents and ladies out on the dance floor, but it looked nothing like that now. It was quick paced and erratic.

They wouldn't have had it any other way.

It was a long time before Asami realized that the music was drifting away, and the spirits danced slower and became more transparent. The phantom reds no longer filled her vision. Dimly she felt a shift in the air.

She panted, sweat running down her skin in thick streams.

Korra stopped when she did. They both looked around at the spirits and the party. It still raged on, but it seemed like it was doing it from afar. Like they weren't all there. They were fading, the music was fading, everything was fading. Fading and becoming slower.

The sun was rising.

The second the first ray of light hit the sky, the festival around them gone entirely.

"I don't think they like the sun," Korra panted.


	7. Qas

_**Qas - (noun) Aluet Word for fish**_

* * *

"Come on!" Korra shouted at Asami, a smile playing on her face. She bent down, putting her hands in the water just to feel it flowing past her fingers. Korra watched as Asami stomped harder in the river, the water spraying up around her legs and onto the hem of her pants.

Asami's brow furrowed as she concentrated, stomping her feet in the river but seeming to have no luck at it.

"You'll never catch a fish like that," Korra told her. She stood back up, watching as Asami stamped her foot again, only to jerk it back up quickly as her sole hit a sharp rock in the riverbed.

"Ouch," she said absent-mindedly. With a sigh, Asami looked up at Korra and said, "I'm clearly not cut out for this. Can't we just eat some Flameo Noodles or pick some of the spirit mangoes?"

"No way!" Korra said, wading over to where Asami stood upriver. She smiled brightly at her girlfriend and put her hand on Asami's arm. "I want to cook you something authentic. I haven't had fish in such a long time, and fish is an awesome Water Tribe dish."

Asami sighed.

"Oh, come on," Korra said sweetly, her smile wide enough to make Asami smile and blush back at her. "I promise you, it'll be one of the best meals of your life. If not the best!"

Asami sighed again, this time with a smile. "Okay, okay," Asami said. "But I'm certain I'm not doing this right. Maybe you should do the stomping and I'll get the fish?"

"Do you really think you could get one?" Korra asked. "I mean, not to be condescending or anything, because I totally wasn't, but you don't really strike me as someone who's done a lot of outdoorsy stuff."

Asami smirked and put her hands on her hips. "And why do you think that?" she asked Korra. "I'll have you know I do plenty of outdoorsy stuff."

"Like flying planes and driving cars?" Korra asked, smirking right back at her. She place her hands on her hips, mirroring Asami. "Alright, you can handle the fish, and I'll do the stomping," Korra said.

Before Asami could walk past her downriver, Korra looped her arm around Asami's waist. Asami's smirk turned back into a genuine smile when Korra looked at her. "Good luck," Korra said, teasing her.

"Oh, I don't need luck," Asami said. "I bet I can catch a red-tailed otter-trout!"

"Do you now?" Korra asked, chuckling slightly. "What are you willing to bet?" She crossed her arms and waited for Asami to respond.

Asami thought about it for a minute, her arms crossed and her hand on her chin. Korra waited patiently, watching Asami's backside as the water flowed past them both. If Korra could bend in the Spirit World, she would have playfully water-whipped Asami's hair or splash Asami's back, but she settled for just dipping her hands in the river and flinging the water at her that way.

Asami let out a small shriek as the cold water hit her back and neck. She spun around quickly, only to see Korra retreating a little ways away. Her expression said it all.

Asami smiled wickedly and started to chase Korra upstream, water splashing around her legs and she chased Korra up and down and around the river. Korra waded out until she was almost waist-deep in the water, not caring that her pant legs were completely submerged in the cool water. Asami approached hesitantly. Her pants were starting to get wet, and she could feel the uncomfortable stick as the fabric clung to her legs.

"What's a matter, Asami?" Korra asked her. "Afraid of a little water?" With that, Korra sprayed her again, and Asami turned her face away just as the water landed on her cheeks and hair.

"Not at all!" Asami called back, and plunge right into the river.

When the water reached her shoulders, Asami dived down, not caring that her hair was getting tangled or that goosebumps covered her skin. She swam after Korra as Korra waded away. Asami was faster than Korra, and within seconds Asami grabbed Korra's leg and pulled her completely underwater with her.

Korra let out a gasp of air as the chilly water hit her face, the bubbles floating up towards the surface. Asami pulled her leg more, dragging Korra along with her, smiling all the while.

Korra spun around, and moved her hands again. If they were on the surface, she would have splashed Asami's face with more water, but since they were underwater all she did was send a small current that pushed Asami's hair away from her face.

Korra reached out to catch Asami, wanting to get her back for pulling her underwater, but Asami swam away too quick for her. She circled around Korra, and grabbed the back of her top, pulling her up towards the surface with her.

They both broke the water with a gasp. They were both panting, trying to catch their breath from being underwater for so long. When they had caught their breath, Asami said, "I caught you! Just the same way I'm gonna catch that fish!"

"You did indeed," Korra replied. "Catch me that is. I've yet to be convinced that you're gonna catch a fish."

"Perhaps you're right," Asami said with a sigh. Korra looked taken aback. Asami looked her directly in the eye and said, "You're much easier to catch than a fish. I wasn't even trying."

Korra splashed Asami. Asami splashed her back.

The both erupted in giggles as they splashed each other.

Their water fight lasted for several minutes before they silently decided to wade back into shallower waters. Asami wrung out her hair and threw it back behind her shoulder. Korra simply flapped her arms and shook her head, sprinkles of water flying from her damp hair.

"Ready to start stomping?" Asami called out to Korra, and giggled.

"Absolutely," Korra said, and jumped up into the air. Both her feet landed hard in the water, the water splashing up past her head. She smiled at Asami, and lifted and plunged her foot back into the water. She did the same with the other one. Water was splashing up high around her, and what little life there was around her feet started to stir.

Asami put her hands in the water, waiting for something to swim by.

Finally, she saw something swimming towards her. It was a fish alright, but something small and quick. Asami wasn't going to let it get away. She slowly shifted her feet, hands close together to try to catch it. As the fish darted past her, Asami's hands closed quickly, but she only got a handful of empty water.

She watched the small fish swim away in defeat.

"Nice," Korra joked.

"Well, it wasn't a red-tailed otter fish," Asami said. "I said I'd catch that fish, not whatever that spirit fish was." She paused. "It might have been part ghost. That would explain why I couldn't catch it."

"Sure it was," Korra said with a small chuckle. "But in all honesty, you're still doing it wrong."

"Well, then how am I supposed to do it?"

Korra smiled at her and walked over. Asami watched as Korra waded over to her, watching several tiny fish dart past the both of them. She was sure that she could catch a fish, eventually. She could do anything she set her mind to, and right now her mind was set on catching a fish. She swore to herself that before this long day was over, she would have caught one fish with her bare hands. If it were the last thing she did, she would catch one fish!

"This is how you do it," Korra said gently. She put her hand on Asami's shoulder, and leaned in close to her. Asami looked at Korra's lips, soft from lip balm and parted in a small, sweet smile.

"Yes?" Asami said back, wanting to lean down and kiss her lips.

"You..." Korra trailed off as Asami ran a single finger through her hair. "You're distracting me," Korra told her. "Look, look, this is how you catch a fish."

Korra walked a few yards away and started stamping her feet again, creating great splashes in the river.

"When the fish head towards you, make sure that you are already ready to catch one!" Korra shouted over to her.

Asami nodded and gave her a thumbs up. She put her hands into the river water, watching and waiting. She could feel the frantic currents of Korra's feet even from her position a few yards downriver, and she saw the fish that kept dating this way and that, scared and disoriented from Korra's feet.

Finally, a fish passed Asami. Her hands flew together, trying to seize the fish, but to no luck. Asami sighed, slightly grumbling to herself, and waited for another fish to swim past her. But the second fish also got away. So did the third and fourth.

"Damn it," Asami cursed beneath her breath.

Eventually, Korra had to stop. She was panting hard as she made her way back to Asami. She could see how upset Asami was about not catching a fish, and she tried to cheer her up with smiles and jokes and praise, but Asami didn't seem to be in the mood at all. She had her heart dead-set on a fish, and she was the one to catch it.

"There is another method," Korra said to her.

This caught Asami's attention. She smiled and asked, "Really? What?"

"One that doesn't require much physical labor," Korra said, still slightly out of breath. "Or a net. Or waterbending. Though it could help..."

"What is it?" Asami asked again, growing more excited by the moment.

"Basically, we'd have to sit for like...an hour with our hands in the water until the fish get comfortable with our hands and start to brush up against us, and then you grab them," Korra explained.

"Sounds like something I could do," Asami said.

As night was starting to fall, Asami held up her fish for Korra to see, beaming with pride.

"I caught one!" Asami said. "I actually caught one!"

"You did great," Korra said. She slung an arm around Asami's waist and pulled her close for a kiss.

Korra pressed her lips to Asami's cheek, and she blushed in response. Asami giggled at the feeling of Korra's hair tickling her skin, and she glanced down at the chicken fish in her hands.

"Today was great," Asami said. "The most fun I've had since...well, last week maybe..."

"Me too," Korra said. "This whole vacation has been perfect so far. The Spirit World has been perfect. You've been perfect."

Asami's blush deepened at Korra's words.

"Really. What must I have done to deserve such a stress-free vacation?" Korra asked to the sky above her. She turned to Asami and said, "And what did I do to deserve you?"

"Anything and everything," Asami replied, resting her forehead against Korra's.

They stayed like that as the night deepened and the stars grew brighter above their heads and glowing night spirits became awake in the thickening darkness.

"Come on," Asami said at last, after a particularly loud cry from a fox owl startled her. "Let's make camp. You can build a fire and we'll cook this fish that I caught!"

"Sounds perfect," Korra said, and the two went back to eat their fish.

* * *

 _I don't really know a lot about fishing with your bare hands, so take this chapter with a grain of salt._


	8. Nāgī

_**Nāgī - (noun) female serpent deities in Hinduism and Buddhism**_

* * *

Korra breathed deep the smell of freshly cooked fish and savored the taste on her tongue. She looked up at the darkened sky, wondering just how long this Spirit World night would last. It could last for days (ha!) or it could last for weeks. Maybe even months. There was no guarantee in the Spirit World; in some places, there were never days, only an endless night, filled with differing moons and billions of stars, each belonging to some ancient constellation with five different names. Or so she had heard.

"Delicious," Asami said, licking her lips and taking off some more of her lip color. "But a little strong on the wasabi."

"Sorry," Korra said. "Didn't know how much we would need."

"Still, not bad," Asami replied. "I quite enjoyed it." She gave Korra a bright smile, and Korra tried her best to return it. But Asami saw that it didn't quite reach her eyes. She scooted closer to Korra on the rocks, the blanket beneath them bunching up.

"What's wrong?" Asami asked her.

"I don't know," Korra replied honestly. "I guess I just miss the sunshine or something."

"Even after seeing it for six weeks straight?" Asami asked her. "Personally, Im glad we finally get to see the moons. They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"They are," Korra replied. "They are indeed."

"Wait," Asami said, realizing something. "You're from the South Pole. Don't you have sunshine all summer and darkness all winter?"

"Yes," Korra said. "Which was why when I was in Republic City I was so mystified by it. I'd never been somewhere where the sun and the moon so closely chased each other." She sighed dreamily. "That was truly a wonderful experience. I kind of miss that."

Asami nodded. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"It doesn't have to make sense," Korra replied. "The heart will feel what it feels, no matter what logic the mind offers."

Asami looked from the moons, to Korra, then back again. "You're still healing, aren't you?"

"Yes," Korra said. "I'm sorry. It's taking so long, and after three years…"

"Hey, don't apologize," Asami said, leaning over and rubbing Korra's arm. "I don't expect you to bounce back so soon. No one does. And right now, you shouldn't be worried about that. We're on vacation, so…"

Asami cut off abruptly.

"Asami?" Korra asked, curious as to what had caught her attention.

"Did you hear that?" Asami whispered.

"What?" Korra asked, whispering back.

"It sounded like hissing. And slithering." She paused. "Maybe it's a snake," Asami said. "I hate snakes. My mother got bit by a snake once, and she walked with a limp for the rest of her life. It was a miracle she didn't die." Asami's heart ached at thinking about her mother again. She scooted closer to Korra and lowered herself down on the rocks, not wanting to be so exposed.

"I didn't hear anything," Korra said, yet she was still whispering. If only for Asami's sake.

"Shh," Asami shushed.

The quiet stretched on. Korra slunk down closer to the ground with Asami but she was still confused and still she heard nothing. Asami was tense, her eyes wide, her eyes staring wide at a certain spot in the distance.

"Asami…" Korra tried again.

Again Asami shushed her.

"Did you hear that?" Asami whispered a moment later.

"Yes," Korra said, and spun around with her. "It did sound like a hiss. But it's probably just a ferret snake…or something like that." She paused, but still she looked off in the distance, towards where that sound had come from. A minute passed in silence. Finally, Korra relaxed and looked away from the rocks, back towards the stars and the moons.

"Asami…" Korra said gently, but this time Asami made no reply. She crouched down lower, pressing her body against the rocks as hard as she could. Korra thought to leave well enough alone, and put her hand up near Asami, looping her fingers around her arm. She could feel how tense her muscles were, but at Korra's touch she seemed to relax slightly.

Then…

"Naga!" Asami rasped, and broke free of Korra's grasp.

"Naga?" Korra asked, sitting upright. She thought of her beloved polar bear dog, somewhere out in the Physical World, in the loving care of Bolin and Jinora. She spun around, half expecting to see Naga walking right up to her and giving her a lick on the cheek. Instead, she saw a woman slithering towards her.

Oh. Not Naga. A Nāga.

Korra was just as frightened as Asami was. Immediately, she reached into her pack, her fingers circling the handle of her ulu, when the Nāga spoke to them.

"Don't even try it," she said to Korra. "Pull that knife out, and the consequences will be dire."

"I'm not gonna let you eat us," Korra said, her grip around her ulu tightening.

"Eat you?" the Nāga asked. "I'm not gonna eat you," she told them. "So I would appreciate it if you would both put those weapons away."

Korra glanced to the side, to see Asami with a knife of her own in her fist. Neither of them lowered their blades. Korra still gripped her ulu, but she did slack her jaw slightly, and loosen her muscles. Asami did nothing of the sort. Her fear for snakes of any kind ran deep, and she wasn't about to let this Nāga approach.

"Please," she said again, and put her hands up, her bangles tinkling as she did so. "I am not going to eat you. Honestly." A second ticked by before she gave them both a slight bow and said, "My name is Ahi, and I live nearby. I heard the two of you talking, and I was curious to see who it was. I mean you no harm."

Something in her voice, her demeanor, made Korra almost believe her words. Her ulu lowered slightly. At that, the Nāga smiled. "Please," she said again, "I mean you no harm."

Asami was still as tense as ever.

"Asami," Korra whispered to her girlfriend, "I think she is telling the truth."

"I don't trust snakes," Asami mouthed, too scared to even talk.

Korra, ulu still in hand, got up onto her feet and began walking towards the Nāga. "Korra!" Asami hissed, terrified for her girlfriend. Korra walked over to her, and the Nāga smiled at her. She pressed her hands together, pleased that one of them had finally trusted her.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Ahi," she said, repeating her name. "And you are…"

"Korra," Korra replied. "Avatar Korra."

"Avatar," Ahi said, tilting her head to the side. "A great title to hold. You are the bridge between worlds, it is said. It is also said that you bridged our world with the Physical World in the years past."

"Yeah," Korra said. "That was me."

"People can come and go. Spirits can travel between the realms so easily. An entire new world is accessible, and yet no one comes to visit me. People avoid me, just as your friend does," Ahi said, gesturing to Asami who still clutched her knife.

Korra said nothing, but turned to face Asami.

Don't turn your back to her, Asami wanted to tell Korra, but she was terrified of offending the Nāga. Who knows what she might do?

"Asami," Korra said gently. "I think we can trust her."

Asami said nothing.

"I invite you both to my home," Ahi said, addressing Asami more than Korra. I would be most honored if you two would accompany me. It has been so long since I have had guests, and I promise you that I will be the most gracious host."

Asami said nothing.

With a sigh, Ahi said, "I understand." She pressed her hands together and said, "I will take your leave."

As Korra watched Ahi slither away, she looked back at Asami, pleading in her eyes. Asami, sensing her lover's earnest trust and wanting, sighed and put down her knife. She looked up at Korra, and with only their eyes, they said all they needed to say.

"Wait!" Korra shouted after Ahi.

The Nāga turned to face them.

"We will come with you," Korra said.

A smile broke across Ahi's face. "That is wonderful," she said, clapping her hands together. She quickly slithered over to Korra and Asami's makeshift camp. "I will help you pack, so you can come over," Ahi said.

Asami jumped back, too afraid to let the Nāga too close.

"That's very nice of you," Korra said, and helped to pack up their belongings. After a moment of watching, Asami began to pack too, but she stayed as far away from the Naga as she could.

When all was put away, Korra and Asami put their packs onto their backs and followed the Nāga, Ahi, up the rocks to her home.

"Oh, and Miss Asami," Ahi said, glancing over at her. "I am actually a Nāgī."

xoxo

It wasn't a home that Ahi lead them to; it was a palace. Large and grand and glowing with soft orange candlelight. Even Asami went slack-jawed at the sheer beauty of the place. She and Korra stood rooted to the spot, just staring at the grandeur in front of them.

When Ahi learned that they were not following her, she spun around to find them staring at her palace. "It is nice?" she asked them, slithering back over to them. "I live here alone, though. There is plenty of space for you two. More than plenty. You each could have a hundred rooms, and there would still be space left for more." She sighed. "But right now, all the space is mine and mine alone."

She turned and started slithering back towards her home.

Korra tapped Asami's hand, and they both continued after her.

Asami was still nervous about following this Nāga–Nāgī–willingly into her home. She was sure there was some devious plan at work here. Perhaps Ahi meant to draw them in with her charms and tales of loneliness and then eat them when they least expected it. Perhaps Ahi meant to feed them until they grew fast and then strangle them before eating them. Perhaps Ahi would unhinge her jaw completely and swallow them whole.

With all those terrifying thoughts running through her head, Asami was amazed that she was able to make it into the palace without running for the hills. _Like I could outrun a snake anyway,_ Asami thought to herself. Then she thought, _Like snakes can run!_

The entrance was dark, but all Ahi had to do was whisper, "Agni," and the entire entrance was lit up with hundreds of candles, their flame warm and comforting.

Asami held Korra's hand as they walked together after Ahi. The deeper they traveled into the hallway, the tighter Asami gripped Korra's hand. Her nerves were starting to get the better of her, but she knew that as long as Korra was here, she had nothing to fear.

 _Maybe the Nāgī will bewitch her so Korra cannot run,_ Asami's mind said. _Maybe the Nāgī is stronger. Korra is without her bending in the Spirit World. Will she be able to fight?_

Asami hushed all those thoughts. Korra had good judgement, and she was plently strong and capable, even without her bending. So Asami took a deep breath, squeezed Korra's hand harder, and let herself be drawn in by the Nāgī's palace.

To say it was beautiful would be an understatement. When they exited the entrance hall, they were met by a large exquisite garden, lit with floating lanterns on a still river and fireflies buzzing about the vast array of flowers and trees. The aroma from the garden filled their noses, so sweet that they smiled and looked at each other with a newfound love of life.

Ahi lead them through the enormous gardens, past bioluminescent koi ponds and tiny orchards and vegetable gardens and flowing fountains dotted with floating lanterns.

Asami's grip on Korra's hand turned from one of fear to one of love. She held Korra's hand to enjoy her company, to be close to her, to show her affection. She began to wonder why she had ever distrusted Ahi.

 _Don't let yourself be fooled,_ Asami reminded herself. _No matter what, you must keep your wits about you._ Asami blinked once, twice, thrice, four times before she was back to her senses. She still enjoyed the gardens, but she kept a critical eye on Ahi. She would never bewitch her. Never.

xoxo

Korra sighed as she dipped her feet in the warm water. Beneath the surface, candles somehow burned, warming the water with their fire. Asami stared at the flickering flames, moving and buffeting with the soft currents of the water.

"This is like heaven," Korra said as she filled another ceramic vase with water and poured it over herself. She grabbed a washcloth and started rubbing her wet skin, the scent of sandalwood and jasmine perfuming her.

"It is," Asami agreed. She couldn't deny it no matter how hard she tried. She may not have trusted Ahi, but her palace was like a dreamworld. Beauty and serenity and nature was everywhere she looked. Even the snake sculptures looked beautiful instead of eerie and off-putting. Asami just couldn't not feel at ease here.

She signed along with Korra and poured a vase of water water over herself, wiping her hair back away from her face with one hand. The water ran down her back and down her sides, and Asami savored the feeling. It was so warm and welcoming. She felt that she could just walk into the pool in front of her and never come back out.

But that little nagging voice in the back of her head told her that that warm feeling might be a trick. _Keep your wits about you,_ Asami constantly reminded herself.

Korra had no such nagging voice. She trusted Ahi. She didn't know why, but she could since something earnest and sincere about her. She didn't fear that Ahi might eat them or kill them or anything. Asami trusted Korra's judgement to an extent. Now, she just needed to know how far that extent extended.

"I feel like I could live here forever," Korra said, watching small spirits float from tree to tree and water to rocks. Some of the spirits giggled at her, their tiny smiles comforting and their cute appearance making Korra smile.

Asami had to smile at them too. They really were adorable little spirits.

"But we can't," Asami reminded her, still smiling and watching the small, floating spirits. "We will have to leave, sometime or another."

"I know, I know…" Korra mumbled. "But it's just so wonderful here." She breathed deeply, inhaling the sweet, soothing aroma of the outdoor bath. "I want to remember this forever. And ever. Till the day I die. No, until my next five lives."

Asami chuckled, and walked over to where Korra sat on the edge of the pool. She sat down next to here, their bare thighs rubbing together. Korra's blush did not go unnoticed.

Asami touched Korra hair, running her fingers along a thick strand of wet hair. The water dripped down onto Asami's thigh. Asami hummed and pressed her lips to Korra's neck. Shivers ran down Korra's spine, and Asami licked a droplet of water from her neck. Korra put a hand over her chest, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Asami raised her head and kissed Korra on the cheek, brushing Korra's wet hair back away from her face as she did.

Korra put her hand on Asami's cheek, and spun around so she could kiss Asami on the lips. "Don't stop," Korra breathed right before Asami captured her lips in another kiss.

"Of course not," Asami breathed.

Korra leaned down onto her back and Asami crawled on top of her, placing her knees on either side of Korra's body. Their feet were still submerged in the warm water. Asami kissed Korra, feeling her soft lips against her own, tasting the minty balm and fresh water clinging to her skin.

Korra wrapped her arms around Asami's back, pulling her closer to her. Korra looped her fingers into Asami's hair, wet yet not tangled in the slightest. How she managed to keep it that way, Korra still had no idea.

Asami placed one of her knees between Korra's legs, and Korra's eyes fluttered closed. "Don't stop," she whispered again.

"Never," Asami said with a smile.

Korra's wet skin glowed with the light of fireflies and glowing spirits. Asami didn't care if they were watching. Clearly Korra didn't either. Maybe it was a bit foolish, maybe it was a bit reckless, maybe it was a bit vulgar. Maybe it was all those things and more. Neither of them cared. They were too lost in each others' eyes, too seduced by the feel of each others' skin, too happy to end their lovemaking now.

Korra let out a breathy moan when she came; Asami made no sound, but the look on her face said more than any sound ever could.

Korra and Asami rolled onto their sides, staring at each other, their faces lit with their joyous smiles.

"Amazing?" Asami asked, a single finger trailing over Korra's cheek.

"Perfect," Korra replied.

Asami's smile widened.

They stayed like that a long time, laying together on the soft stone in the garden bath, wrapped in each other's arms, staring into each others eyes. Everything around them was magical and soft and warm and serene. They never wanted to leave. They never wanted this moment to end.

Asami was forced to admit that she could have died happy at that moment, and she would have no regrets. She wouldn't care, so long as Korra was with her. Asami's fingers twirled in Korra's short brown strands, and the scent of musk mixed with sandalwood started to lull her to sleep.

"It's getting late," Asami whispered, her voice breaking the soothing silence.

"How can you tell?" Korra asked. "It's been night for weeks, and the night will probably last for a few more weeks."

"We're almost asleep," Asami said. "Let's dry off and get into bed."

"Okay," Korra said, though she didn't more. Asami didn't either. They stayed like that for another hour before they finally made it to their bed.

They both fell into the sheets, the pillows and mattress surrounding them in what felt like clouds, and with that they fell asleep, not bothering to pull the canopy back around the bed.

xoxo

It was still night when Asami awoke. She sighed and stretched, raising her arms and pointing her toes. Korra, who slept beside her, mumbled and shifted in her sleep. Korra's head laid on Asami's right breast, her hand laying on her chest. Asami looked down at her with sleepy eyes and ran her fingers through her hair.

As her memory started to come back to her, she tensed. She remembered where she was, and she remembered Ahi. Ahi and her sharp-toothed smile. Asami looked away from Korra into a dark corner of the room. The netting of the canopy blurred as she stared, the minutes ticking away from her.

Asami still continued to pet Korra's hair. That, along with Korra's presence and overall contentment, helped to calm her nerves. Asami closed her eyes, focused solely on Korra and herself, and took slow and deep breaths. She couldn't meditate, and though Korra had explained it to her and demonstrated it, Korra wasn't exactly an expert either.

With another moan and a twitch here and there, Korra opened a single eye, peering up at what she though was a fast asleep Asami. She tried stretching as discreetly as possible, but the motion made Asami look over at her.

"Good morning, my love," Asami said, startling Korra.

"Good morning," Korra replied. "I didn't think you were up."

"Well, I am," Asami replied. "It's still nighttime."

"Yeah," Korra breathed. "Night can last…for a long time here." She yawned and stretched again, before curling back into Asami's side. "I slept wonderfully," Korra mumbled, a small smile on her face. "How about you?"

"Yeah, I slept well," Asami said, yawning herself. She stretched again, her arms over her head and her legs reaching for the end of the mattress. "Very comfortable here," she said, looking around. Candles were still flickering in the distance. Glowing spirits still lingered on the roof and the rocks. "Very comfortable," she said under her breath.

She shifted in the bed, trying to get comfortable, when she felt a sticky wetness on her legs. 'Great,' Asami thought, hating the fact that she had stained the mattress beneath her.

"Korra," she said, making to get out of bed when she stopped, her eyes opening wide. She rubbed her legs against the mattress, and found that wetness travelled too far down to be normal. She felt it on her calves, on her feet, and on her toes. In a panic, she threw the blankets off of them, exposing their bloody legs.

"Korra!" Asami said, making her girlfriend bolt straight up in bed. She looked at her bloody legs in turn, wondering what had happened.

"I…" Korra said, "what?"

"We are leaving here," Asami said, jumping out of bed and gathering up her stuff, throwing it into her backpack. As she packed, she slapped at her leg, feeling a painful tickle. Looking down, she saw that it was a mosquito leech that had latched onto her leg.

"Korra," Asami said, turning back to her. "Look," she said, holding her palm out so Korra could see the dead mosquito leech in her hand.

"Gross," Korra said. She rubbed her legs with the sheets, trying to get rid of the blood. "Maybe we should leave here."

"I knew we shouldn't have come here," Asami grumbled to herself. "You should never trust a nāga. That's…" Asami stopped herself. She was about to say, 'That's what my father used to say.' But that's when she realized that that prejudice is what lead to her father joining Amon's forces.

"Asami, I don't think this is Ahi's fault," Korra said, swinging her legs off of the mattress. "It's not her fault that mosquito leeches happened to eat us."

"Mosquito leeches?" said Ahi behind them.

Korra and Asami spun around, seeing the nāgī slithering up behind them. She stopped halfway across the gardens, not wanting to intrude upon them. "Ahi," Korra said, blushing in embarrassment. She hoped that Ahi hadn't heard what they were talking about only a minute earlier.

"Yes," Asami said, standing upright and pulling on her robe. "Look at our legs." She parted her robe and held out one of her legs for the nāgī to see. Ahi regarded her leg silently, watching the small pinpricks of blood leak out and trickle down her skin. Asami pulled her leg back into her robe, feeling uneasy under Ahi's stare.

"Did you close the net canopy all the way?" Ahi asked them.

"No," Korra said, "we didn't." She turned to address Asami. "We didn't close the canopy all the way Asami. That's what happened." Asami was quiet as she looked at Korra. The tension had gone from her body, but Korra could still see the uneasiness in her eyes.

Ahi, sensing the tension, said, "I'll go get some candles to ward off the bugs. If you get a lot of citrus around, they'll leave you alone. For the most part. That and some salt." With that, she slithered away, leaving Korra and Asami standing in the bedroom, looking uneasily at one another.

"I don't think she's out to eat us," Korra said.

"I'm not so sure," Asami replied. Asami walked back over to the bed where Korra was sitting, and she pulled the canopy nets tight around them. Korra still rubbed the blood on her legs, and Asami sighed. "I just think it's a bad omen," Asami said, looking at the blood stained sheets.

"A bad omen?" Korra asked, turning to face Asami. "I didn't think you believed in those kinds of things. I mean, being a city girl and all…"

"Korra," Asami sighed, taking Korra's hand in her own. Asami played with Korra's fingers, running her tips over the curve of her nails, feeling the knuckles right beneath the skin, her thumb trailing along her palms and tracing the creases.

"Yes…?" Korra asked, the quiet lingering in between the two of them. She waited for Asami's next words.

"Okay," said Asami, giving Korra a smile. "If you trust her, then I will too. For now."

Korra smiled back at her, relieved. "Thank you, Asami," Korra said, and kissed Asami's hands.

 _ **To be continued...**_


End file.
